Burn
by tiresome.succulent
Summary: Soulmate AU. Yuri Katsuki is a twenty-year-old freshman at Hasetsu University, Victor Nikiforov is his twenty-five-year-old ballet teacher, Phichit Chulanont is his eighteen-year-old eccentric roommate, and in a world in which a burn is the sign that one has found their soulmate, how will their relationships unfold?
1. Chapter 1

"Yuri, get over here! Help us pack your damn stuff!" yelled my sister Mari. Today's the big day, when I'm finally going to Hasetsu University. I took two years off after high school to help with my family's business, Yu-topia, so I'm already twenty and entering as a freshman, but that shouldn't be a big issue. My high school friends all went to far-away universities to get out of Hasetsu, so I would have been on my own either way.

We loaded up the family car and made our way to the University, where I would have one week to get used to college life before starting any classes.

"Hey piggy, ever find out who your roommate is?" Mari questioned with a sneer.

"Mari, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling him piggy? He's not _that_ chubby." Chuckled out my dad.

My cheeks blushed with embarrassment, and I squeaked out, "No… But I hope he'll be nice…"

Mari laughed, "You mean you hope he likes pork cutlet bowls. I swear, you're the cutest little piggy!"

With a last groan of annoyance from me, we arrived at the University. Seniors from the school greeted us and led us to the dorm. We were directed to a booth, where a friendly upperclassman named Otabek welcomed us.

"Greetings from Hasetsu University. My name is Otabek, I'm a senior here majoring in dance, and I'm an RA for this dorm. I'm actually in charge of the floor you are staying on, which is the third floor, room 315. So if you have any questions or issues, do not be afraid to contact me."

With a grateful "Thank you," we made our way to my room. I led my family, and they trailed behind me, carrying all of my necessary-for-college belongings. I knocked a hesitant three knocks, unsure if my roommate was inside. I didn't hear a response, so I cautiously pushed open the light wooden door.

What I saw inside made me slightly wary of what was to come. My roommate was giggling maniacally, taking selfies in crazy positions on what was claimed as his bed. He finally noticed us when Mari cleared her throat, and large, hopeful hazel eyes looked up at us. Springing up from his bed, he introduced himself.

"Hi! I assume you're my roommate. I'm Phichit, and I recently moved here from Thailand. Just by looking at you, you seem really nice, so I'm sure we'll become really close!"

He shook my hand, and I could not help but shyly smile at his enthusiasm.

"Hi, I'm Yuri Katsuki, and I've lived in Hasetsu my whole life. If you-if you need someone to show you around, I can be your guide…" I said hesitantly. However, my nervousness disappeared when he sent me a winning smile and shook my hand.

"Thanks Yuri, I will definitely take you up on that! By the way, I hope you aren't allergic to hamsters…" He looked off to the wall with a mildly ashamed grin.

I followed his eyes to a mysterious-looking rectangular object covered with a light piece of fabric. Now that I focused, I could hear a light squeaking, and could sense a faint smell of wood chips in the air. I sent Phichit a lazy grin and said,

"Hamsters are kindof my second favorite animal, next to dogs... So I guess we have a secret to keep from Otabek, haha?"

Phichit squealed and jumped into my arms, squeezing out a tight hug.

"I just knew you would be an awesome roommate!"

My parents and sister gave me two thumbs up, eyeing the way Phichit was clinging to me. I promptly turned a dark shade of red, which the monkey hanging on me noticed.

"Yuri, is something wrong? You're super red! Do you have a fever?! This is no good, and it's not even the first day, too! And…"

My dad cut him off by clearing his throat.

"Well, Yuri, I think it's time for us to go. I'm sure your new _friend_ Phichit is willing to help you unpack your boxes, and we have got to head back to the resort; we can't leave it unattended for very long."

And with a flurry of "I love you"s and "See ya later, Piggy"s, my family headed back to Yu-topia, after many assurances to my mom that I would come home often and visit them. They finally closed the door, and I came face-to-face with an energetic Phichit. We got to work unpacking, and after two hours filled with introductory conversation, we were still learning more about each other.

Phichit was talking with enthusiasm about his major of dance.

"So I can't believe our RA is a dance major, too! I mean, what a coincidence! I'm sure we'll get along well, and we have to because I don't think hamsters are really allowed in the dorm… But anyways, I've practiced dance since I was five, ballet in particular. Although recently, I've taken up ice skating. I'm really excited because I saw there's a rink in Hasetsu! You know what, I just had the best idea. What if you join me ice skating sometime? I'm sure you'd love it! Also, what is your major, Yuri?"

I quickly tried to process this onslaught of information and answered,

"Right now, I'm undecided, but I hope to find a definite major by the end of the year. Also, I'm not too sure about ice skating. Um, I'm pretty clumsy, and I don't know if I have good balance, and aren't I a little too- too chubby for that?"

"Nonsense!" Phichit responded. "Now I won't force you into doing something you aren't comfortable with, but if you decide to step out of your comfort zone a bit, just hit me up and I'll gladly take you!

"Now, we need to work on your self-confidence a bit… Hmm, how should I do this- Ah! I've got it! Yuri, are you dating anybody right now?"

I was momentarily blinded by the suddenness of the topic. It's usually something I don't discuss with others, not only because I'm quite reserved, but because I have what some may consider a "different" preference.

I came out as gay to my family two years ago, and they accepted it easily and gave me an abundance of support. Unfortunately, however, I never found somebody that I wanted to pursue a relationship with. I debated whether to provide Phichit with these details, because I had just met him, but he interrupted my thoughts before I could.

"Wait, Yuri, I realize that question was a little too personal. I tend to get quite forward at times, so please don't feel like you have to answer my questions." He said with a face ridden with guilt.

From my initial impression of him, I judged that Phichit was a trustworthy friend, and I decided I could confide this fact about myself to him. Also, I didn't want to see his pouting face anymore.

"I'm not in a relationship and… You see… I'm kindof attracted to men, too, so it makes it a little difficult. Um, I hope this doesn't upset you, being my roommate, with how I am…"

Phichit looked shocked for a short moment, and worries that he really would decide he didn't want to be my roommate haunted my thoughts. Once again, before I could stress about it too much, Phichit jumped in with a response.

"Yuri, this is great! You don't have to worry about me being uncomfortable, because I'm bisexual, and you being gay doesn't bother me at all. Anyways, back to college majors. I'm thinking I should take some classes…"

And that was the end of the conversation. I felt blessed by the gods to have such an accepting and friendly roommate as Phichit-kun. As he continued talking, my worries about college got less and less urgent, masked by the whimsical feelings that accompany a new friendship.

The next day Phichit and I resumed our easy, lighthearted conversations. I got to know amazing details about his life in Thailand, which seemed a million times more interesting than my ordinary upbringing. Nevertheless, Phichit seemed endlessly interested in learning about me and Hasetsu.

I decided to put my knowledge of the area to good use and show the restless boy where the pet store was. Once there, we bought items for the hamsters such as wood chips, organic treats, small toys, and, most importantly, an odor-ridding spray.

We waddled around the store and eventually, our hands got full and Phichit dropped every new item he picked up, which was followed by us laughing our asses off at how stupid we looked.

"Yu-" Phichit tried to squeeze out between laughs. "Yuri, how can you balance all of that!? I swear, either you have god-like balance or you're a magician." His voice suddenly dropped to a much lower octave, and he slowly slipped his tongue over his lips.

"You can work some of your magic on me, if you want, Yu-ri." He said, dragging out the syllables of my name.

I then proceeded to drop every single item that was in my arms, with my face rapidly turning scarlet.

 _What? Phichit-kun… why did he say that? Does he like me? Does he think of me as attractive? What does this mean for us as roommates? Wait, who would even bot-_

Phichit yanked me from my impure thoughts with the loudest laugh I had ever heard from a human being.

"YUUURII! I was just- Ahaha ohmygod, your face! Your face when I said that! Yuuuri!"

Against my small but stubborn pride, I found myself laughing crazily along with him. Suddenly, a new thought popped into my head. _It really does seem like we're best friends, doesn't it?_

I realized my mistake of speaking out loud when Phichit answered my rhetorical question.

"You mean to say we weren't already?"

With a new best friend by my side, I finally felt truly ready to face the challenges of Hasetsu University.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, you guys~~

I already have some chapters written, so they should be coming at a reasonable pace. I love Viktuuri, but it's going to take a little bit to get to the juicy stuff- of which there will be _plenty_. But don't get worried, your silver-haired prince will be coming soon!

* * *

-one week later-

"Phichitttt-kunnnn you need to wake up! School starts today!"

I only got a roll of my best friend's body in response, and sighed again. _What can we do to wake this Sleeping Beauty up... Hmm... I've got it!_ I leaned closer to the boy and whispered in his ear,

"Phichit, I've got your phone~"

He bolted straight upright and batted around for the mean being who claimed to have stolen his phone. I just giggled and walked back to the room's bathroom, grateful for its existence. Otherwise, I would have had to share a communal floor bathroom- not appealing to me one bit.

After Phichit realized his phone and pictures within were safe, he finally dressed and prepared for the day.

"Hey, what's your schedule look like this week, Yuri? Do we have any classes together?" Asked Phichit. I handed over the papers that listed all my classes, and to my relief, we somehow had a good amount of the same classes- excluding his dance major courses, obviously.

This news was followed by my roommate running up to me and hugging me in happiness. Unfortunately, being the clumsy person that I am, I lost footing and fell on the floor. Phichit got tugged down in the accident, and conveniently landed flat on top of me.

We stayed frozen like that for a few seconds, looking into each other's eyes in shock. I noted a light blush graced his cheeks, and I'm sure mine reflected that. Phichit mumbled in my ear,

"Yuri? Do you want something, or is there another reason you're still holding me?"

I instantly looked away, mortified by the fact that my arms were still wrapped around his waist, the way they were when I tried to stop the fall. I began to get up and move away, desperate to escape this intense atmosphere, when he started again.

"Not that I mind it, of course."

My eyes were probably wider than what was even possible, and all I could make out was a shy "Umm... Phichit..."

He instantly broke eye contact and looked to a random spot on the floor.

"Hahah Yuri. You know I was just messing with you. Just messing. Let's-let's get on our way to class. We have the first one together, right? Haha, just kidding around. Let's go."

I decided not to mention his strange actions for now. Phichit seemed to be hiding something, and I didn't want my roommate and I's relationship to fall apart after only one week.

We left the dorm, silence hanging over us like a dark cloud. I itched to get rid of this uncomfortable atmosphere, and said the first thing that came to mind.

"So Phichit, have you- umm... found your s-soulmate?"

I immediately clamped my hands over my mouth. This was something people didn't talk about much with people they knew very well, much less those who they have only known for a week. Whether or not you found your soulmate was a personal matter, and usually a quite sad one, because many could not find theirs.

One could only find their soulmate between when they were twenty and twenty-five years old. There could only be a five-year age difference between two members of a pair. To make it even more difficult, the initial sign that one has made contact with their soulmate is a burn where they first touched your skin. It is quite hard to just get close enough to a person to casually touch them, much less directly touch their skin.

After that, a strong bond forms between two soulmates. It is hard to be separated from them, and you constantly feel drawn to them. If one gets rejected by their soulmate, it can be very detrimental to their health, and, in extreme cases, can have fatal results.

Knowing all this, and how touchy this could be for a person, Yuri much regretted bringing up the topic to Phichit. _What if he didn't meet his soulmate in time? What if something happened to his soulmate, and now I seem inconsiderate? Agh, I'm so stupid!_

"Well, I'm only eighteen, so I haven't noticed anything yet… Wait Yuri-kun, how old are you?"

I blushed intensely for my mistake. "Well, I'm twenty…"

Phichit looked at me in awe. "Wow, you're so _old_ , Yuri! Have YOU found your soulmate yet?"

I blushed even more, certain that my cheeks were a deep shade of red. I responded, "No, not yet…"

Phichit looked away and mumbled, "Good."

After this awkward ending, we resumed our normal conversations. _Man, I'm glad that we're back to normal. Though what did Phichit-kun mean when he said "good"? Why would he be happy that I haven't found my soulmate yet? I'm done with being confused. I'll ask him._

"Hey Phichit-kun…" I said, breaking off the conversation. "What did you mean when you said "good" when I told you I haven't found my soulmate yet?"

He looked caught off guard and answered.

"Yuri, don't worry yourself about it. I didn't even realize I said it, haha! Don't get worried about insignificant things. C'mon now, if we don't hurry, we won't make it to class! Keep up, little piggy!" he said with a wink.

He sprinted ahead, and I ran my hardest to catch up with him. One thing was for certain: If I hang around Phichit for much longer, I was sure to get in shape- hopefully eradicating the nickname "Piggy" from existence.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for reading and reviewing, I truly appreciate it! And DON'T WORRY, Viktor will make his spectacular debut next chapter!

* * *

"Okay Yuri, so our first class is with… Yakov Feltsman? Sounds pretty foreign to me. Let's just hope he makes Calculus interesting, eh?"

We stepped into the large lecture hall filled halfway with what seemed to be other freshmen. This was an introductory Calculus course, so it made sense that no upperclassmen would attend. But what surprised me the most was not the age of the students, rather _how many were already here at eight thirty in the morning._

I try to hide it by waking up before Phichit every day, because it is awful. I mean, truly terrible. Simply put, I hate mornings. I despise them with a passion. And it does not make it any easier on me that I have a class this early. _Maybe this is why I was so out of it this morning and kept on questioning Phichit._

At the thought of him, I felt a light nudge on the back of my shirt. "Let's keep going, Yuri, so we can find a good seat before they all fill up." It was then that I realized that I had been standing at the entryway to the lecture hall for who knows how long, and I hurriedly rushed to grab a seat.

Another thirty minutes passed, and the room was packed with students, who for the most part seemed uncomfortable like they would on the first day of school anywhere. Due to this fact, many students were scrambling to find a seat.

I was immersed in my conversation with Phichit, and got startled when I felt a forceful tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw what my mind immediately labeled as a "hot piece of ass."

The man before me had caramel-tan skin, a sharp jawline, and a tantalizing bead of sweat falling from the fringes of his black shaved undercut. I took note of his outfit, which consisted of a white wife-beater (displaying his prominent, sturdy muscles) and tight black leather skinny jeans. I could tell my mouth resembled that of a fish, but I couldn't help it when such a fine specimen was right in front of me.

His slightly cocky grin rearranged itself to make out a phrase: "Hey, if you guys don't mind, I'm going to take this seat. It certainly doesn't _seem_ like you mind, glasses-kid. My name is JJ. Jean-Jacques Leroy. Don't forget it."

I stumbled to get myself together and let out, "Y-yeah, we don't mind. Um, I'm Katsuki Yuri. And- and this is my friend…" I turned my head to look at Phichit, pleading with my eyes for him to take control of this situation, because I couldn't seem to get a grip on myself. Thankfully, he picked up my internal plea, not without a strange look, and continued what I was trying to say.

"Phichit Chulanont. Pleased to meet you." JJ and Phichit nodded at each other, and the former took his seat next to me.

Much to my embarrassment, I could not stop staring at the boy. And he knew it. "Katsuki, you say? What's your major, _Yuri-kun_?" He said that last bit in a husky, deep voice that almost made me swoon. _Get a grip on yourself, Yuri. You can't go fawning over every booty you see. And don't get involved with him. This man is too sexy for his own good._

"Well, I'm- um- I'm undecided. What about you… JJ?"

"Undecided as well. I sure hope we have more classes together, Yuri." He gingerly placed his chin on his open hand and tilted his head, keeping eye contact with me. "I really would like to… get to know you a bit better, you see? You seem like a person who knows how to appreciate something good when they see it."

It was then that Phichit stepped into the conversation, surprising me with a heavy note of anger in his voice. "I don't think Yuri would like to "get to know" an egotistical person like you. Back off, buddy."

My head swung from one to the other in confusion. _Just what the hell are they fighting about? I don't get it!_

JJ responded to Phichit's jab in a calm voice, saying, "Ah, I see how it is. Well, I'm not one to break up a couple, so don't worry about it Phichit. I respect a man's loyalty. But Yuri," he said in a lower voice as he leaned into my ear. "Be sure to tell me if you decide to leave him. I don't like to leave sweet boys like you single for long."

"Wait, no JJ, you don't understand! Phichit and I aren't-" I stopped my words as I looked at Phichit. He was staring straight ahead of him, with an unreadable look on his face. "Um, Phichit? Are you ok?"

He looked at me and forced a small smile on his face. "Yeah Yuri, let's just focus on class. The professor's about to start." And as I saw as I looked to the front, he was in fact setting up his laptop. I gulped and mumbled out an "Ok, Phi…" Then the three of us turned our attention to the daunting man at the front of the class, who cleared his throat and began his talk about expectations of class, how grading worked, etc.

* * *

After the class ended (which wasn't so bad, besides the fact that Yakov, as he told us to call him, freaked out half the class with his unhappy appearance), Phichit and I just couldn't shake off JJ. Not that I minded of course, because I got a pretty nice view walking behind him- ah, I've got to stop thinking things like this.

Anyways, Phichit seemed quite upset with the fact that JJ was hanging out with us after class. I could tell something was really bothering him, so I escaped with my best friend to the bathroom.

Once in there, I instantly addressed the problem at hand. "Phichit, why are you that bothered with JJ hanging out with us? Of course if you don't want to be around him, I'll respect your wishes and stick with you. I was just wondering… Because I haven't seen you that upset before…"

He looked guiltily to his feet. "I just- don't- I don't know, Yuri, I just don't like the way he was looking at you, like he was going to devour you. I guess I was only worried about my best friend, haha. I understand that you probably want to make a lot of friends here, and I do too, so I'll try my best to get along with him. I'm sorry for worrying you, I-"

I cut Phichit off with a tight hug. "Don't apologize for anything, Phi-kun. I really appreciate you looking out for me. There's no need for you to worry, you'll always be my best friend!" I looked into his eyes and saw that they were brimming with tears. I brought up my thumb and slowly wiped them away. "Please don't be sad, Phichit…"

He then realized that he was almost crying, and blushed away. "I'm not sad, Yuri! I think the stress is just getting to me, from being away from my family and all, and it being the first day of school. Thank you for being here for me." He hugged me back intensely, and we made our way back to JJ.

On the way over there, I wondered, _what would it be like if Phichit and I were… soulmates? I guess I'd be pretty fine with it. But would we still be as good friends? Or would it just be sex and romance-y stuff all the time? I don't want to lose my best friend here because of that…_ And before I could finish pondering it, we joined back up with JJ.

I attempted to dissolve the uncomfortable atmosphere, saying, "So, what classes do you guys have next?"

JJ was the first to respond. "Well, it seems like I have freshman English… Not my favorite subject." I nodded and turned to Phichit, motioning for him to answer.

"I have a Multicultural Dance class next. It should be really fun, because we get to learn about styles from all around the world! Also, Otabek is going to help lead it, so maybe I'll get to know him better." He looked me sincerely in the eyes. "Another friend, right, Yuri?"

I smiled, glad that he was going to make an effort to be more social, and gave my response. "Sounds great, Phi! And I-" I broke off. "I h-have bal…" I mumbled off, not really wanting the others to know what class I was about to go to.

I signed up for ballet. I needed an elective, and it was calling my name. Secretly, I always wanted to take lessons; I admired the balance and grace those dancers had, but I was always worried what Mari-chan and my family would say. Coming from Mari, it would probably be something like: "Ballet? HAHAHA, how could a little piggy like you do BALLET?"

Nevertheless, I was still determined to do well in this class. I just didn't know how my new college friends would take it. Phichit would probably encourage me, because he was a dance major. But JJ? I just met him, and I was not confident that he would accept it, without picking at me for it.

But I went for it, anyways. Make new friends, right? Hopefully this one would be nice about it. "I may have kindof signed up for ballet…"

It was quiet for a moment. Then Phichit was right in my face. "YURI, that's wonderful! Ooh, can I watch you sometime? Pretty pretty please, Yuri? I won't say anything, I promise! I just want to watch!"

I giggled in what I was sure was an unmanly way and said, "Sure, Phichit- after I actually learn it, of course." I hesitantly turned to JJ to see his reaction.

The tan god smirked at me. "Hell yeah, that sounds awesome, Yuri. As long as I get to see you in a tutu."

My face immediately turned red in embarrassment. "JJ, why would you say that? Do I actually have to wear a tutu in ballet?"

Phichit started smirking at that, too. "No Yuri, you don't have to wear a tutu. But you'll let me see you in one too, right?" I slowly backed away in dread. _WHAT ARE THEY PLANNING TO DO TO ME?_ But my fear gave way to confusion as I saw my friends whispering quietly to each other.

I was ecstatic; it seemed like they were finally binding over something! I approached them, impatient to hear what their connection was about. As I closed in, I began to hear a few snippets of their conversation. "Yes, tutu…. Damn, boy… Yuri… That booty…" I slowly backed away in fear. In my careful escape, I accidentally stepped on and snapped a twig. Two sets of eyes turned to me.

I ran-as fast as I could- to ballet.


End file.
